Graham Godfrey Rumors

Here are the latest minor league transactions, with the newest moves at the top of the post…

The Rockies have outrighted Pedro Hernandez to Triple-A, according to the MLB transactions page. The 25-year-old lefty made one start for Colorado before he was designated. As he has previously been outrighted, Hernandez will have the right to elect free agency.

Reliever Jose De Paula has re-signed with the Giants on a minor league deal, per the MLB transactions page. The club had designated and then released him just days ago.

The Nationals have released righty Josh Roenicke, according to the International League transactions page. Roenicke had spent at least some time in the big leagues for each of the prior six seasons, and logged 150 2/3 between 2012-13. But moving to the starting rotation for the first time as a professional has not resulted in high-level production at Triple-A this year; Roenicke has struggled to a 5.45 ERA through 79 1/3 frames (15 starts) with 4.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9.

Ryan Feierabend of the Rangers has accepted an outright assignment rather than electing free agency, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The left-hander made his way back to the bigs for the first time since 2008 with a Texas club that has cycled through more than its fair share of arms this year.

The Royals outrighted Brett Hayes to Triple-A after the catcher cleared waivers, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link). As the backup behind workhorse starter Salvador Perez, Hayes hasn’t seen much action this year, appearing in 27 games and posting a .362 OPS over only 53 PA.

The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Graham Godfrey, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Godfrey posted a 5.09 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 46 innings with the A’s in 2011-12 and he spent last season pitching for the Red Sox and Pirates’ Triple-A affiliates.

The Diamondbacks released first baseman Wagner Mateo earlier this week, according to the Pioneer League’s transactions page. Mateo originally signed a contract as a 16-year-old with the Cardinals worth a $3.1MM bonus in 2009 but St. Louis voided that deal after Mateo’s physical revealed apparent vision problems. Mateo signed a $512K contract with the D’Backs a year later and hit .230/.312/.349 over 802 pro plate appearances, never getting above the High-A ball level. He also posted an 8.87 ERA over 22 1/3 relief innings over the last two seasons.

The Reds released right-hander Adam Russell last week, as announced via Twitter by their Triple-A Louisville affiliate. Russell posted a 3.95 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 1.46 K/BB rate over 86 2/3 relief innings with the White Sox, Padres and Rays from 2008-11, and he’s since toiled in the minors with four other organizations. He had a 4.33 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 1.79 K/BB in 35 1/3 IP this season with Louisville.

Zach McAllister and Evan Scribner were both respectively optioned to Triple-A by the Indians and Athletics over the weekend. The two righties wereboth on optional assignment waivers after being designated off their team’s 25-man rosters (but not the 40-man rosters) on Friday, though they were procedural moves rather than traditional DFAs, and neither player was in any danger of being claimed by another club.

To monitor players who have been properly designated for assignment, check out MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, as a whopping 10 players currently reside in “DFA limbo.”

The Blue Jays have announced that Ramon Ortiz and Clint Robinson cleared waivers and were outrighted off the 40-man roster, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson Smith (on Twitter). Ortiz was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, while Robinson was outrighted to Double-A New Hampshire. Both were designatedfor assignment earlier this week.

Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets that the Pirates have acquired Triple-A right-hander Graham Godfrey from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. The 28-year-old Godfrey has amassed 46 Major League innings — all with the Athletics – and posted a 5.09 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.

The Pirates have acquired Triple-A lefty Atahualpa Severino from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Severino, 28, has a 3.40 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 156 1/3 career innings at Triple-A. He received a brief taste of the Major Leagues with the Nationals back in 2011, totaling 4 2/3 innings of relief.

The Indians announced (via Twitter) that they have signed right-hander Chris Jakubauskas and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old has a 5.58 ERA in 166 big league innings and last saw the Majors with the Orioles in 2011. Jakubauskas spent 2012 in the D-backs and Blue Jays organizations, and he appeared in eight Triple-A games for the Brewers this season. He has a 3.75 ERA in 175 career innings at Triple-A.

Godfrey, 28, started four games for the A's early on in the 2012 season. He spent most of this past season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.29 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 104 innings. In parts of two seasons at the MLB level, Godfrey has a 5.09 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 46 innings.

It was on this day in 1990 that the Athletics acquired Willie McGee in a trade with the Cardinals. McGee hit .274/.333/.336 in 123 plate appearances for the eventual AL champions but McGee still remained a presence in the National League. His .335 average in St. Louis stood up throughout September to win McGee the NL batting crown, making him the only player in history to win a batting title despite being traded to the other league partway through a season.

Here are some items from the AL West…

The Angels are unlikely to add a reliever before the waiver deadline, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez, and GM Jerry Dipoto discusses how the new collective bargaining agreement has limited the trade market for relief pitching.

Despite Dan Haren's struggles and injury issues this season, Fangraphs' J.P. Breen still thinks the Angels should pick up Haren's $15.5MM option for 2013, as Haren provides a better value at $12MM (factoring in his $3.5MM buyout) than possible free agent options.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan seemed to dismiss the idea of his team having interest in Roger Clemens. In an interview on the Galloway & Company show on ESPN 103.3 radio, Ryan said "I might call [Clemens], but I don’t think I’ll be calling him about a job.” Clemens has signed a contract with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters and is rumored to be considering a Major League comeback, though Clemens has said he is "nowhere near" Major League shape yet.

The Athletics have designated pitcher Graham Godfrey for assignment, the club announced. The move was made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Stephen Drew, who was acquired Monday from the Diamondbacks.

After a cup of coffee with Oakland last season, Godfrey, 28, appeared in five games (four starts) this year for the A's, posting a 6.43 ERA in 21 innings pitched. The right-hander was a 34th-round selection by the Blue Jays in 2006, and was traded to the Athletics in the deal that sent Marco Scutaro to Toronto after the 2007 season.